Hate Is Strong But Love Is Stronger
by Marie S Zachary
Summary: Madame Defarge finds and adopts an infant shivering in the snow; abandoned.  Later she learns the child is biologically an Evermound and struggles knowing that the child she cannot stop loving is from a family she hates.
1. Finding Crystial

Disclaimer: I don't own Tale of Two Cities

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><p>`Therese's point of view<p>

Earnest and I do love one another however we did not marry for love. We hardly knew each other when we got married. It was a marriage of friendship and convince. I cannot say when I first knew that I loved him. I cannot say that he first knew when he loved me. What I can say is we did learn that we loved one another. Our marriage is far from perfect and there are obstacles in the way. We lost our daughter 5 years ago and we buried our son 3 months ago. Those were the two most horrific tragedies we could ever face. `Lynnette and EJ both died at that hands of the disgusting swine called St. `Evermond. EJ was born shortly after his sister's death so I experienced being the one that blends into the crowd and the one that stands out.

Today was bitter cold but my doctor said I must walk for ½ an hour each day.

"I am going out for my walk Ernest," I told him.

He took my hand and brought it tenderly to his lips.

"Be careful my wife," he told me

…

She was tiny. She could not have been any older than 2 maybe 3 days old at most. She was left out in the snow to freeze; a beautiful child. Her crying tore at my heart. I picked her up and spoke tenderly to her.

"Hush now my little one," I said softly, "You are safe now"

I wrapped her in my jacket to keep her warm and ran back to the wine shop.

"What is this," Ernest asked an eyebrow raised I could not tell if it was in anger or amusement.

"I found her shivering in the park," I said in a soft whisper, "It looked as though she had been abandoned."

"My wife we can barely feed ourselves," he pointed out not sternly but with concern, "How can we afford to keep this babe?"

"We afforded two before her," I replied, "We can afford her as well. She could die if she is not cared for. My husband please!"

He held out his arms asking for the baby. I held protectively to her unsure if this was a refusal or an acceptance.

`Therese I am not about to let any harm come to her," Ernest said, "But if she is to be my child I think I have the right to hold her… to bond with her don't you agree"

Ernest's point of view

I didn't think I would feel anything for this baby. She was not my flesh and blood after all. I did not contribute to her birth and I was not there for it as I was when `Lynnette and EJ was born. I held my arms out for the baby trying to decide if I should toss her out or if I should bend to `Therese's desires. Her protective hold on the baby told me what I had to do. She needed this baby. Perhaps **we **needed this baby. The ox-like determination was something I knew I would have to deal with but now was not the time for that. I vowed I would not allow any harm to come to her and would agree to keep her. `Therese handed the infant over to me. When she looked up at me with a smile I melted.

This baby was ours. That smile sealed it. I loved her. I didn't want to love her. I have lost both of my children; why add a 3rd to lose? It didn't matter what I wanted at this moment. I **did **love her. That spoke for itself.

"We can keep her," I told `Therese, "We have some things from when the children were babies that will do for now and we will get what we need. It will be a tight squeeze but we can handle it my wife. This said we are going to have **discussion **later about your ox-like determination."

"Ernest," she said, "That would frighten the baby. She has been left in the shivering cold. Any loud noise or such will disturb her and the walls are terribly thin."

I had to admit she had a point there. Mentally I went through a list of possible reprimands for springing this on me without warning and refusing to accept my decision but none of them seemed feasible as much of them were unsafe and the others would disturb or otherwise do ill will for the child.

`Therese's point of view

Ernest agreed that we could keep her but said I had to be chastised for my stubbornness and for springing it on him with no warning. Upon my pointing out the impracticality of it he let it go.

`Therese," he cautioned, "I am only allowing you to get away with this for the sake of the baby"

"I know Ernest," I said, "and I am grateful"

"I take it she didn't come with a name," he said.

"No of course she didn't," I said.

"I figured as much," he told me, "Well then I-"

"I like the name Crystial," I told Ernest.

"Crystial," he repeated not chiding me for interrupting.

"It was my sister's given name," I explained.

A smile came across his face.

"Then her name shall by Crystial-Lynn"

"Please tell me Lynn will be her middle name," I said.

"Yes my wife," Ernest told me with a smile, "It shall"


	2. Another Life Changing Discovery

The Vengeance's Point of View

I walked quickly to the wine shop. I had some huge news to share with `Therese. This news would affect Ernest too. It was about `Lynnette. She had not been killed. She was alive. She had been in the bestial for 5 years 7 months 1 week and a day. As I entered the wine shop I saw Ernest with a baby in his arms.

"My friend," Ernest greeted.

"Who is that child," I asked curiously.

`Therese explained the situation.

"Are you certain that is wise," I asked, "Suppose she turns out to be…um… you don't know anything about her anyway."

"Vengeance there is nothing to fear. She's just a baby," Ernest said stroking the child's golden lox of curls. I had a bad feeling about this.

"So," `Therese said, "What may we do for you today?"

"I have word for you," I said, "about `Lynnette"

It was as if a storm cloud darkened upon `Therse.

"Do tell," she said pouring me a glass of wine.

"This may shock you," I said, "But the child lives"

"`Lynnette lives," Ernest and `Therese said together.

"She is alive. St. `Evermond had her imprisoned in the bestial for 5 years 7 months 1 week and a day."

"Well then," `Therese said excitedly, "We go and storm the bestial. We get her out. She's but a child. She's but eight years of age"

"My wife," Ernest said softly but firmly, "We must be careful in this. If we storm the bestial without back up we are putting **her **in danger. We **shall **get her out but we must plan it. We've 2 children to think of now. Crystial's safety would be at risk too if we act carelessly."

`Therese's point of view

`Lynnette lives. `Lynnette lives. `Lynnette lives. Those words are as sound in my mind as a pounding. It is clear. There is no room for error. There is no doubt here. "Lynnette lives. Vengeance and I have been friends from toddlerhood. She would never ever tell a false tale to me. My husband is going on and on and on about the plans to storm the bestial and get Lynnette freed. I just want to **do it **but impatience is one of my faults. Come on though. Can you blame me? It has been 5 years seven months one week and a day since I saw my eldest child. I will allow Ernest to take charge because I know if I did I would mess things up.

The baby started fussing. She was clearly hungry. I went and got one of EJ's old bottles and fed her. I sang a French lullaby while I fed her. I burped her after that and changed her for she had messed her diaper during her feeding. I put her in some warm baby clothes we had Lynnette in when I birthed her then placed her in EJ's baby bed. We couldn't afford sheets so I got some warm towels and used them to cover the baby bed. She seemed to sleep comfortably. I planned to somehow find some way to get sheets for her. I remember that Vengeance had recently been able to get sheets. I doubt she would have a problem lending it to me. Well she might but I have a feeling she wouldn't. We've been friends since we were toddlers.

"Vengeance," I asked, "Could I borrow the sheets for the baby?"

"You can have them," she said.

Ernest's point of view

There are only four things; well people; more important to me then the revolution. `Therese,`Lynnette, EJ and now Crystail. When we lost `Lynnette `Therese was in her ninth month of pregnancy with EJ. EJ got stabbed in front of us as consequence of us not being able to pay some tax that the marquis set upon us. A good friend of mine, Alexander Mannette tried desperately to save him for even in those 19 winters in Captivity he had maintained his Doctoring skills. Tragically the marquis sword was the death of our son. I had never liked the St. Evermonds but now I detest them with every being of my soul. I wish death on each and every one of their descendants and then everlasting misery. I had no idea how much my attitude was going to change in 10 short years. It felt like forever since we decided to storm the bestial to the time that we did it but it was probably only a few days… a week at the most. `Therese was worried that ` Lynnette wouldn't recognize us. I was a little concerned about that too. My hair had gone gray and Therese had become thinner from grief. But she did recognize us.


	3. The Horrifying Truth

`Thereses Point of View

Three years passed without incident. Lynnette adored her little sister. Crystail grew from a helpless babe shivering in the snow to a rambunctious child with more energy then a thousand people all together and then to a mild mannered three year old. One day I was taking Crystail to the park when I ran across a member of the St. `Evermond family. He was holding the hands of a little child. She looked exactly like Crystail did a year ago. My stomach dropped. I couldn't believe this. There was no question in my mind. The child I have raised since birth and loved was a St. `Evermond. The worst part of it was that I still love her every bit as much as I did when I saw her shivering in the snow but she is my sworn enemy. But she's my daughter. She is the one I have loved from the very minute I met her. How could that be? It doesn't make any sense.


End file.
